Stems with an indumentum of hairs that are densely branched from a short central axis when young, this thinning as stems mature, lenticellate, a slight interpetiolar ridge resembling a stipule scar present

Leaves

Leaves opposite, petiolate blades very narrowly to narrowly ovate or narrowly elliptic, 5 (9.5) – 17.5 × 1.2 – 4.5 (5.8) cm, margins serrate, apex acuminate to caudate, base acute to shortly attenuate (rarely obtuse Loher 4438 (K)), both surfaces with simple and branched or stellate hairs when young, the upper surface either retaining an even covering of simple or laxly branched erect hairs or becoming ± glabrous, the lower surface either with branched and stellate hairs on the lamina, the hairs more densely branched and almost plumose on the veins, or with scattered stellate hairs remaining around the midrib or glabrous, both surfaces with numerous yellow sessile glands, the midrib and secondary nerve pairs raised petioles 3 – 7 mm, often with scattered hairs similar to those on young stems

Callicarpa micrantha is a common species in herbaria: there are collections from across the Philippines, particularly in the northern islands, especially Luzon, becoming less common towards the south. Although most collections are pre-1946, there are some from 1994 and 1996 as a result of the Philippine Plant Inventory project. Given that it can survive in secondary forest, this species is given a preliminary conservation status of Least Concern (LC).

Note

As a result of these observations, I am placing Callicarpa phanerophlebia and C. elegans into synonymy here. Although C. elegans has been the most often used name in the past, C. micrantha becomes the accepted name through the principle of priority. C. phanerophlebia has peduncles longer than typical its leaves tend to be obtuse at the base. Callicarpa micrantha bears a strong resemblance to C. japonica, a species described by Thunberg (1784) for his Flora Japonica, for more detail see Atkins (1999). C. japonica is one of the Callicarpa species popular in horticulture, and is characterised by its delicate inflorescence, stamens which dehisce by terminal pores (Chang’s Callicarpa sect. Verticirima Chang 1951) and serrate, glabrous to sparsely hairy leaves. The leaves of the type specimen are more or less elliptic in shape, acuminate at the apex and more or less attenuate at the base. Although there is much variation in leaf shape across the distribution of C. japonica, leaves can be elliptic, matching the Thunberg type, or very narrowly elliptic, matching more typical Philippine material. C. micrantha remains distinct since its anthers are smaller and more elliptic than those of C. japonica, and do not appear to dehisce through a terminal pore. Vegetatively, the Philippine material most closely matches the type of C. japonica var. angustata Rehder, since this variety has narrower leaves than the typical variety, but var. angustata has not been recognised in recent publications (e.g. Flora of China Chen & Gilbert 1994), most likely due to the apparent variation in leaf shape between the typical and narrow-leaved forms.Material from Davao Province, Mindanao [Edaño PNH11263 Ramos & Edaño 49011 Edaño PNH11126], has leaves at the larger end of the scale found in Callicarpa micrantha, both in terms of length and width (9.5 – 17 × 3 – 5.8) peduncles are also longer, usually greater than 1.5 cm, whereas the peduncles of collections from Luzon are usually less than 1.5 cm long (although there are exceptions).In the Philippine material at K is a specimen labelled ‘Callicarpa caudatifolia Merr. n. sp.’ I cannot find any record of this name in the literature as authored by Merrill C. caudatifolia was described by Koidzumi (1925: 8). I assume that Merrill never published C. caudatifolia, although he annotated specimens using that name. The specimen fits within C. micrantha, as newly defined here.
Callicarpa micrantha can be distinguished by its delicate inflorescence, with long penduncles and fewer flowers, in combination with its narrow leaves. A number of different species names have been published with these characteristics (C. elegans, C. phanerophlebia, C. albidotomentella). Careful examination of the type material of these species, and other conspecific material, shows variation in leaf indumentum within these species. C. elegans tends to have more or less glabrous mature leaves, especially the upper surface C. micrantha is more typically hairy than either of the others. However, between these two extremes there is a continuum, making identification troublesome when both species are recognised. The only species of this group that can be clearly separated is C. albidotomentella, apparently endemic to Mt Posuey [Posooy], Luzon, distinct due to its dense, pale indumentum of the lower leaf surface and stems (for more discussion see notes under that species).

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